VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Flight attendants at WestJet, Canada's second-largest airline, threatened Thursday to go on strike over unpaid work, a move that could disrupt travel during the busy summer season.
The union representing 4,400 cabin crew at WestJet issued a 72-hour strike notice. That means that if an agreement isn't reached, the strike could begin Sunday — at time when the Monday, Aug. 3 holiday in Canada creates a three-day weekend for many people.
Both the airline and the union said they were negotiating and hoped to still reach an agreement.
“There’s still time to avoid a strike,” said Alia Hussain, president of the chapter of the Canadian Union of Public Employees which represents the flight attendants. “We will continue to bargain around the clock until this is resolved. We want a fair contract for our members that recognizes the value of flight attendants’ work.”
A key issue in the dispute centers on how flight attendants are paid for duties performed while they are still on the ground. The union says some of that work is unpaid. WestJet says these duties are compensated through a “credit hour” system rather than an hourly rate.
WestJet said in a release the company regrets the “inconvenience and uncertainty” created by the labor dispute and will continue bargaining.
Travelers booked on its regional WestJet Encore service or code-share flights run by an airline partner such as Delta Air Lines would not be affected by a strike, the carrier said.
Last summer flight attendants at Air Canada, the country’s largest carrier, went on strike with unpaid groundwork one of the key issues. That work stoppage lasted three days before the sides came to an agreement.
John Gradek, a faculty lecturer on aviation management at McGill University in Montreal, said WestJet flies about 75,000 passengers a day on just over 600 flights.
He said it’s no accident the union waited until a long Canadian weekend in August to threaten strike action. “Those passengers who get disrupted have to find their way to their destination and it will be WestJet’s responsibility to get you to your destination within 48 hours of your original booking.”
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